Democrat Mark Critz may struggle in Tuesday’s special election to win a House seat that’s been blue since 1974, but he can safely declare victory in the local newspaper endorsement war.

He won over the area’s biggest paper last week, and he’s picked up a range of smaller papers in the heart of the district over the last few days.

The latest endorsement of his campaign against Republican candidate Tim Burns to fill the vacancy left by the late Rep. John Murtha came Friday from The Uniontown Herald-Standard, a paper with a daily circulation of about 22,000.

Critz already has been touting the endorsement of the bigger Johnstown Tribune-Democrat and the Washington, Pa., Observer-Reporter.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette backed Critz on May 4. While that paper surprisingly snubbed him by endorsing an upstart underdog in the separate Democratic primary for the general election, the smaller papers closer to Johnstown – around which the 12th District is centered – have been more enthusiastic in their backing.

The support from the local institutions burnishes Critz in a race where he has actively sought to downplay national issues that seem to benefit Burns in a district narrowly won by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008.

On Tuesday, Burns picked up the support of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review – which has about 65,000 fewer readers than the Post-Gazette. It’s the only newspaper endorsement his campaign mentions on its web site.
The Herald-Standard’s endorsement emphasizes Critz’s ties to Murtha, who had been the Keystone state’s longest serving member of Congress.

“Critz, who served as economic development director under Murtha and began volunteering with him way back in 1994, represents an opportunity for continuity in the 12th District,” the editorial said. “While Critz has long been involved in the 12th - albeit behind the scenes - Burns has seemingly come out of nowhere to try to replace a Pennsylvania legend.”

The Tribune-Review, a historically Republican-leaning paper, noted in its endorsement of Burns that the 12th District’s constituents are more conservative than national Democrats.

“Founder of a successful pharmacy technology company, Mr. Burns is a rock-ribbed conservative, strong on national defense and adamant about ending government's bailouts and unsustainable ‘solutions,’” that paper’s editorial board said. “He'll best represent the district's growing conservative census.” (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_680414.html)

While the importance of newspaper endorsements for campaigns has diminished in recent years, they could play a larger role in the special election, where turnout tends to be lower than in primaries and seniors (who are more likely to read newspapers) may have an outsized impact. Polls show Critz and Burns locked in a tight contest.

The race in the 12th District, south of Pittsburgh, is a bellwether and continues to draw powerful surrogates from both parties. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) campaigned for Burns Friday. Former President Bill Clinton will appear with Critz on Sunday afternoon.